Control system and apparatus



June 19, 1923. 1,458,935 A. J. HALL ET AL CONTROL SYSTEM AND APPARATUSFiled July 30. 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTORS WITNESSES. [lg/171172Had/l 4% QQQQQM BYW W s M AT'ToRNEY 3 She ets-Sheet 2.

June 19, 1923.

* A. J HALL ET AL CONTROL SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed July so, 1920WITNESSES:

June. 19, 1923. 1,458,935-

A. .J. HALL ET AL CONTROL SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Ju ly 50, 1920 3sheets-sheet 5 Trolley F; 3 4/ INVENTORS WITNESSB' firihurd Ha/l &

f6). W 56" 1.. Ma rd/s.

W ATTORNEY tion but partially in section,

Patented June 19, 1923.

UNITED, STATES PATENT GFFICE.

aa'rnun .1. HALL, or wmonoom'nn, ENGLAND, nun PAUL L. mmms, orswlssvann,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & -IANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, A GOBIPOBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

Application filed July 80, 1920. Serial No. $0,146.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR J. HALL, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of Winchcombe, England, and PAUL L. Manors, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Swissvale, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Control Systems and Apparatus, of which the following isa specification.

Our invention relatesto control systems and apparatus and especially toprotective means for electric railway systems and the likeunder'abnormal operating conditions.

One object of our invention is to provide a system and apparatus of theabove-indicated character wherein a resistor, preferably the startingresistor or resistors of an electricrailway-motor-control system, isgradually inserted in circuit under abnormal voltage or currentconditions before the line switch is opened to disconnect the motorsfrom the su ly circuit.

ore specifically stated, it is an object of our invention to provide asystem and apparatus for effecting the desired protective functions in acertain sequence which is inherent by reason of the" combination ofapparatus used and which does not, therefore, require any specialdevices, such as time-element relays, etc.

Our invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of one pieceof control apparatus that is employed incarrying out the presentinvention' Figure 2 is a view, chiefly in end elevaof the apparatus thatis shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the main circuits of a system ofcontrol to which our invention may e applied; and

Figure auxiliary circuits for applying the abovementionedprotectivefeatures to the railway motor that is shown in Fig. 3.Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawin s, the apparatus 10 here showncomprises a use member or plate 11 to which is riveted or otherwisesuita1y secured, a plurality of 4 is a diagrammatic view of thetransverselyextendin strips or supporting bars 12 and 13, where y ready mounting inany desired location is afforded; a compound bracket or journalstructure 14; a pistonand-cylinder device 15; a controllingelectromagnetic valve 16 therefor; and a drum controller 17 that isadapted to be actuated by the piston-and-cylinder device 15.

The bracket structure 14 preferably coinprises integrally-related bearinmembers or ournals 20, 21 and 22, the aring 21' being provided for thedrum controller 17 and the other two bearing members for the piston rod24. The common base or connect mg member of the bracket structure 14 isbolted to the main base member 11, as indicated by the referencecharacters 23 and 23", to provide a rigid and suitablypositioned sup ortfor both the piston-and-cylinder device 15 and the drum controller 17,as will be understood.

The piston-and-cylinder device 15, in addition to the piston rod 2 1,which is pro vided with a toothed lace or rack ortion 25, comprises asuitable piston 26, w icli is adapted to travel within a cylinder orshell 27 that is preferably integrally associated with the bracketstructure 14, as illustrated, A helical spring 28 is located within thecylinder 27 around the piston stem 24 to bias the piston 26 to itsillustrated lowermost position, which also corresponds to the tripped ornormal position of the drum controller 17, as diagrammatically indicatedin Fig. 4. A suitable passage or opening 29 is rovided between the lowerend of the cylinder 27 and the electromagnetic valve device 16, whichmay be of any well-known form and consequently need not be describedhere. It will be understood that an actuating coil, designated by thereference character 16 in Fig. 4, is provided for actuating a valvespindle to admit fluid pressure from any suitable source to the cylinder27 or to convey such fluid pressure from the cylinder to the atmosphere,in accordance with a familiar practice.

The drum controller 17 comprisesa cylinder or drum proper 30, which maybe formed of wood or other suitable material for carrying a plurality ofcontact segments, as is customary (shown in Fig. 4). The drum 30 isrigidly secured to an operating shaft til member of spring-controlledfingers 33 are provided for completing the desired external circuitconnections by means of the above-- mentioned contact segments.

Near the bearing member 21, a pinion is rigidly secured to the shaft 31to mesh with the rack portion 25 of the piston stem 24, as clearly shownin Fig. 1, whereby movement of the piston 26 is directly imparted to thecontrol drum 30.

The operation of the apparatus 10 may be briefly set forth as follows.Upon energization of the actuating coil 16 of the electromagnetic valve16, fluid pressure is admitted through the passage 29 beneath the piston26 in the cylinder 27, whereby the piston is raised to its uppermostposition in opposition to the action of the biasing sprin 28 tocorrespondingly rotate the control rum 30, through the agency of therack portion 25 of the piston stem 24 and the meshing pinion 35, wherebythe control drum may be actuated from its tripped to its reset position,as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. i.

To eflect the return of the control drum 60 and the piston 26 to theillustrated positions, it is merely necessary to de-energize theactuating coil 16 whereupon fluid pressure is exhausted from thecylinder 27 through the valve device l6, and the biasspring 28 returnsthe piston 26 and, therefore, the mechanically-connected control drum,to the illustrated normal posr tions. It will be appreciated that thedownward movement of the piston, while uite rapid, is not instantaneous,by reason 0 the relatively long cylinder 27 that is provided, and thisinherent time-element in the apparatus is employed to advantage, assubsequently set forth, for ermitting the opening of various electricaly-controlled switches during the period of backward movement of thecontrol drum 30.

Referring to Fig. 3, the main circuits here shown comprisesupply-circuit conductors Trolley and Ground; a main propelling motor ordynamo-electric machine M1, which is provided with a commutator-typearmature A1 and a series field winding F1; a plurality of acceleratingor starting resisters and 41, which .are respectively controlled bygroups of switches 1 to 4, inclusive, and 5 to 7, inclusive; a lineswitch LS for connecting the motor circuit to the trolley conductor; andan overload or cur rent relay 42 that is employed for apurpose to bedescribed later.

* It will be understood that our invention is not restricted to the useof a single motor but that the illustrated system has been made assimple as possible. Furthermore, the various switches, which areillustrated as bein of the solenoid or electricallyactuate type, arepreferably of the electropneumatic form which embodies apistonand-cylinder device and an electromagnetic valve, such as thosedesignated by 15 and 16, respectively, in Fig. l and Fig.2.

In Fig. 4;, the system shown comprises the supply-circuit conductorsTrolley and Ground; an excess-voltage (relay 44, toe gether with aresistor in circuit therewith across the supply conductors; and alow-voltage auxiliary control system comprising the actuating coils ofthe switches LS and l to 7, inclusive, the controller drum 17, a relaydevice 43 for a purpose to be set forth, contact members of the overloadrelay device 42, a master controller M C having operative positions a to11, inclusive, and a master reverser MR having the usual forward, ofiand reverse positions, energy being supplied to the various actuatincoils from a battery B, for example.

l e overload relay 42 and the excessvoltage relay 44 may be of anywell-known type for breaking a control circuit under abnormalconditions. As is customary with such devices, a latching or resettingapparatus 46 is provided in connection with each relay to prevent thereturn of the relay to the closed-circuit position after it has oncebeen operated. In this way, the train operator is forced to return themaster controller to its off position before the relay devices 42 and atmay be reset in the illustrated closed position. Each of the latchingdevices 46 is shown in a simple manner as comprising a magnetizable coret? which is biased to the illustrated position through the agency of aspring 48 to hold a tapered rod 49 in a position that is suitable forsupporting the corresponding relay in its upper or tripped position.Byenergizing the actuating coils 50 and 51 of the relays 44.- and 42,respectively, the latching members 49 may be Withdrawn from beneath therelay devices, which thereupon drop to their illustrated closedpositions to complete the control circuit until abnormal conditionsagain obtain.

Assuming that the master controller occupies its illustrated offposition and that the battery switch has been closed, a circuit isestablished from the positive battery conductor B+ through switch 60,junctionpoint 62, conductor 63, junction-point 64, conductor 65,actuating coil 16m of the tripping apparatus or control device 10,junctionoint 66, conductor 67, contact segment 68 o the mastercontroller in its oil position, conductor 69, contact segment 70 or 71of the master reverser, dependent upon whether the reverser occupies itsforward or its reverse position, whence circuit is completed through thenegative conductor B- to thebattery B.

-The energization of the actuating coil 16a causes the drum controller17 to he actuated to its reset position in opposition to the action ofthe spring 28.

During such movement of the controller, another circuit is continuedfrom the junction-point 64 through conductor 75, actuating coils 50 and51 of the latching or resetting apparatus 46 for the relays 44 and 42,res ctively, conductor 76, contact segments 7 and 8, which are bridgedby certain of the control fingers 33 in positions between the initial ortripped position and the final or reset position, circuit beingcontinued from the contact segment 7 8 through conductor 79 to thenegativelyconnected conductor 67.

In the reset position of the drum controller 17, the circuit of theactuating coil 16a is transferred through another portion of the contactsegment 78, conductor 90, contact disc 91 of the overload relay 42,conductor 92 contact disc 93 of the excessvoltage relay 44 to thenegative conductor B--. in this way, the actuating coil 16c remainsenergized to maintain the drum controller 17 in its reset position afterthe master controller has heen actuated to an operative position,thereby interrupting the previously tracedcircuit at the contact segment68.

By actuating the master controller to its initial operation position a,a new circuit is established from the junction-point 62 throu hconductor 80, control fingers 81 and 82, w ich are bridged by contactsegment .83 of the master controller, conductor 84, .actuating coil ofthe relay device 43, conductor 86, junction-point 87 and conductor 88 toconductor 90, whence circuit is completed to the negative conductor 3-,as already traced.

Another circuit is established, at this time, from the contact segment83 through control fin r 95, conductor 96, actuating coil of the ineswitch LS, conductor 97 contact segment or electrical interlock 98 ofthe switch 1 (in accordance with the familiar constructiondiagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3), whence circuit is continuedthrough conductor 99 and junction-point 87,

as mentioned above.

The closure of the line switch connects the motor M1 in series relationwith the starting resistors 40 and 41 across the supply-circuitconductors, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 3.

Upon movement of the master controller to its second 0 rative positionb, a new circuit is established from the contact segment 83 throughcontrol finger 100, conductor 101, actuating coil of the switch 1,

contact disc 102 of the relay device 43 in its upper or energizedposition, and thence directly to the negative conductor B--.

Upon the closure of switch 1, the energizing circuit containing theactuating coil of the line switch LS is transferred to another circuitby reason of the movement of the electrical interlock 98 on theswitch 1. This new circuit is established from the actuating coil inquestion through conductor 9?, electrical interlock 98, conductor 103,contact segment 104 of the drum controller 17 and thence to the negativeconductor 3-. The purpose ofthis transfer of circuits will be pointedout later.

In a manner similar to that previously described, movement of the mastercontroller to position 0, d and e efiects engagement be tween thecontact segment 83 and control fingers 105, 106 and 107, res ectivelywhereby the actuating coils of t e switches 2, 3 and 4 are successivelyenergized (in parallel relation to the actuating coil for switch 1) tocause the closure of these switches and thus exclude from circuitadditional sections of the starting resistor 40 to cause an increasedspeed of the motor M1.

In positions f, gand it of the master con troller, control fingers 108,109 and 110 respectively engage contact segment 83, whereby theactuating coils for the switches 5, 6 and 7 are successively energized,these coils lacing connected to the conductor 86. in this way, thestarting resistor 41 is graduall excluded from circuit to produce theful series connection of the motor M1 across the supply circuit.

It should he noted that the actuating coils for the switches 1 to 4,inclusive, are connected through the contact disc of the relay device102 directly to negative conductor B--, whereas'the actuating coils forthe switches 5, 6 and 7 and for the relay 43 are connected to conductor86. lln this way, it is ensured that, upon the de-energization oi thecommon conductor 86 for these actuating coils,'the preferablyelectro-pneumatic switches 5, 6 and 7 will open prior to the switches 1,2, 3 and 4 by reason of the inherent time-element required for thenormal opening of the magnetic type tripping relay 43, which causes theswitches 1 to 4, inclusive, to he de-energized and opened a fraction ofa second later.

The emergency operation of the illustrated system may be set forth asfollows. If the master controller occupies its final position It, forexample, when the overload relay 42 or the excess-voltage relay 44 is.actuated to its upper or open-circuit position, the subsequentde-energization of negative conductor 86 instantaneously causes theswitches 5 to 7, inclusive, to open a short time rior to thede-energization of the actuating coils for the switches 1 to 4, in-

- inherently slow 0135B.

or 1 my ohseocent y, the accelerating resistor Q-l is irnrnediotelinserted in circuit under rmsl conditions, and the accelerating storillis'elso inserted in circuit at frect on of e second later.

t wi he noted thet the actuation oi "so de-energizes the actuatleepperetus 10, which is,

tried to its illust d position by reason of the action of hissingspriizg 28. However, as previcur described, 2. relatively greettime-ele- (thus ensuring the maximum circuit resistonce) to ceuse theelectrical interlock 98 to occupy the illustrated position, the sctuatcoil of the line switch is egsinconnected with the circuit containingthe contact discs of the relays 4:2 and let or, in other words, isde-euergzized. Un the other hand, this de-ener izetion does not occuruntil the resistor switch 1 hes dropped out, the contact se ment s onthe drum controller 17 is ma e of seilicient length to maintain theenergization of the actuating coil during the movement of the controllersuiiicient time has elapsed to permit the chi open. In other words, uponthe occurrence of shnormal current or voltage conditions, our system isso organized that one starting resistor and then the other is insertedcircuit and finally the line switch is opened to disconnect the motorfrom the supply circuit. In this way, s highly desirable and graduallyapplied protective lecture is inherently provided lay our s' stemwithout the use of special time-element reley devices or the like inconnection with any or the switches.

it will he understood that a similar action, in so far as is possible,occurs whenever the master controller occupies some other operativeposition and either of the relays 42 and 44 is actuated to its upperposition.

We do not wish to be restricted to the specific structural details,circuit connections or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as variousmodifications thereof may he eilected. within the spirit and scope ofour invention. We desire, therefore, that only Khalil s shell, heineosed indicated in appended cla Vie clsii'o our invention:

1. The coiohinotion with. c. dynamo-electrio machine and e. plurality ofresistors in circuit therewith, of a plurality of switch ing devices forssid resistors, 9. switch for controlling the machine circuit, and moonsesponsive certain machine conditions for successively o pening seidswitching devices cod said switch.

2. combination with ssupply circuit e dynamo-electric machine, of oplurality of re 'sors circuit with said machine, 9. plurality ofswitching devices for said r sistors, a switch for controlling theconnection of said machine to said supply circuit. and means responsiveto certein machine conditions for opening said switching devices andsaid switch in successive steps.

3. The combine-Lion with a dynamo-electrio machine end a plurality ofresistors in circuit therewith, or" c. plurality ofresistorshort-circuiting switches, e line switch, and means responsiveto certain machine conditions for opening said switches in o predetcrmined sequence to successively increase the machine-circuitresistance.

The combination with e dynamo-electric machine and a plurality ofresistors in circuit therewith, of o plurality ofresistorshort-circuitihg switches, at relay device for controlling oneoisaid switches, means responsive to certain machine conditions fordirectly ofiecting' the opening of said relay and oil soother switch,ondmeans co-operwith cold responsive moons whereby sold switches seeopened in s predetermined sequence.

5. The combination wits c dynamo-elem tric machine, of a. circuit thereior, "plerality of switching mes for varying he resistance oil it a relaydevice governing one oi sold nieces, means resnonsive certainmachine-circuit conditions for eriecting the substantially simultaneousopening of seid rcrey and one of sold switching means, and means(so-operating with said responsive means whereby a certain time elementslope-es hetweeii the opening of said switching moons.

o. The comhinction with c, dynamo-electrio machine, and e plurality ofresistors in circuit therewith, of a plurality of switches for saidresistors, e line switch, at relay for governing one of the resistorswitches, s rotatalole switching device for governing said line switch,and means for substantially simultaneously (lo-energizing one of saidswitches and said relay and starting said switching device towardsanother position, whereby it is ensured that the various switches openin o predetermined sequence.

'3', The combination with o. dynomo-electric mechine, cool e pluralityof resistors in circuit therewith, of a plurality of switches vice forgoverning another switch, said for said resistors, a line switch, arelay for governing one of the resistor switches, anelectrically-controlled rotatable switchin device for governing saidline switch, an means for substantially simultaneously deenergizing oneofsaid switches, said relay and said switching device to cause the various'switches to open in a predetermined order.

8. The. combination with a dynamo-electric machine, and a plurality ofresistors in circuit therewith, of a plurality ofresistorshort-circuiting switches and a line switch, all provided withactuating coils, a relay for governing the coil of cue of the resistorswitches, a control drum for governing the coil of said line switch anditself having an actuatin coil, means for substantially simultaneou s lyde-energizing said relay, the coil of the non-corresponding resistorswitch, and the coil for said drum, and means co-operating vwith thelast-named means whereby the resistor switches and the line switch openin a predetermined sequence.

9. The combination with a dynamo-electric machine and a lurality ofcontrolling switches therefor, o a relay for governing one of saidswitches, a rotatable control device for governing another switch, and

means responsive to certain machine conditions for effecting thesuccessive opening of one of said switches, of the switch governed bysaid relay and of the switch governed b said device.

10. T e combination with a dynamo-electric machine and a lurality ofcontrolling switches therefor,.o a relay for governing one of saidswitches, a rotatable control deswitches and said control device havinactuatingcoils, means forsubstantially simultaneously de-energizing saidrelay, the coil of a non-corresponding switch, and the coil of saiddevice, and means co-operatmg with the last-named means whereby thevarious and adapted to initially govern the actuat- 7 ing circuit ofsaid line switch, and means for su sequently transferring the openingcontrol of said circuit to another switch.

12. The combination with a dynamo-electric machine, of a plurality ofresistor-shortcircuiting switches, a line switch, an abnormal-conditionrelay adapted to permanently govern the actuating circuit of a resistorswitch and to initially form a part of the actuating circuit of saidline switch, and means for subsequently transferring the opening controlof the last-named circuitto said resistor switch.

13. The combination with a dynamo-elec tric machine, of a plurality ofresistor-shortcircuiting switches, a line switch, an abnormal-conditionrelay adapted to permanently govern the actuating circuit of a resistorswitch and to initially form a part of the actuating circuit of saidline switch, a control drum also governed by said relay, and means fortransferring the opening control of the last-named circuit jointly tosaid resistor switch and said drum.

In testimony whereof I, ARTHUR J. HALL, have hereunto subscribed my namethis ninth day of July, 1920.

ARTHUR J. HALL.

In testimony whereof, I, PAUL L. MAR- nrs, have hereunto subscribed myname this 15th day of June, 1920.

PAUL L. MARDIS.

